Heart of the Uchihas
by xxphoenixfallenxx
Summary: Itachi Uchiha has a younger sister along with him in Akatsuki. Sasuke is hunting them down. Will they kill each other, or can they possibly be saved?
1. Beginning of the end

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. But I do own Talin.

Ok, this is my first attempt at a story with Sasuke, Itachi, and other people in it. I may not be good at it, so please don't flame me and or yell at me if it sucks. Just give advice. Now, here's the full summary.

Different version of the Uchiha clan wipe out, and afterwards: Itachi is the older brother of Sasuke Uchiha, and Talin Uchiha, twins. And as much as they want him to actually be an older brother, he tries to keep his distance from them. They try to be like him, and even tell him so, and yet he always replies, "You don't want to be like me, and I doubt you ever will." When they asked him to train them, or help them practice, he'd jab them on the forehead and say "Sorry, I don't have time." Then he'd walk away. And when Itachi takes the turn for the worst, Sasuke and Talin are the only ones to survive. While Sasuke is left behind to gather his hatred to destroy Itachi, Talin tries to follow Itachi to kill him, even with little chance, but Itachi decided to take her in. Years later, they clash together in a fight that would never be forgotten by the witnesses, or the Uchihas themselves. This is their story.

The beginning of the Uchiha tragedy 

Itachi was 13. He was captain of an ANBU squad, and considered the true heir to the Uchiha name. Hidden in his shadow of power and skill were his twin siblings, 9 year old Sasuke and Talin. They were constantly told that they should be more like Itachi, comparing them to Itachi, always criticizing them. Their father was always seemingly busy with Itachi, and therefore neglected them. And yet they were the best in their class… but not as good as Itachi. Itachi never wanted to leave them out, and convinced their father to pay more attention to them. Soon, their skills had grown, and yet they were still nothing compared to Itachi's abilities at their age. But still, many referred to the 3 Uchiha children as the Heart of the Uchihas.

One morning, they were all sitting to eat breakfast when Itachi got ready to go out on an ANBU mission, without even touching his breakfast. As he walked down the street in the Uchiha village, Talin ran after him. "Big brother, mom packed up your breakfast for you." She called as he stopped, hearing her come. She held out a black cloth filled with toast and some eggs wrapped in wax paper. Itachi smirked a little, and took the pack. He ruffled her hair up a little. "See you later." He said, and walked off. Just as Talin was about to turn to go home, she saw him dump the food in a garbage can. She watched him go with a blank look. She sighed, and as she walked home, she said quietly, "He's so stubborn sometimes." She bumped into someone, and looked up to see Shisui. "Oh, hello Talin. Did Itachi just leave?" he asked, seeing her somewhat annoyed expression. She smiled a little. "Yes." She replied. "O.K. Thanks." He said, and ran off. Talin shrugged, and fixing her ruffled up hair, went inside. "Sasuke, we need to go or we'll be late." She said, picking up her backpack.

"O.K. See you mom!" Sasuke called, and pulling his shoes on quickly, ran out the door. Talin ran to keep up with him, and soon they were at the Academy. Their teacher, Kurenai, was beginning to teach them Shuriken jutsus. Talin blinked a little as the speed of the shuriken. There was something about them that made her be able to see them… she wondered if maybe she'd be able to develop and awaken the Sharingan at age 8 just like Itachi.

Later, as the two headed home, they saw Itachi coming in. "Hey big brother, why are you home so soon?" Sasuke asked, running over. "Mission was canceled." Itachi replied simply. There was something about the look in his eyes… Sasuke ignored it as they walked beside him. "Big brother… everyone keeps saying you're so great, that you're the pride of the Uchiha village. I want to be like you." Sasuke said as the 3 walked. Itachi sighed a little. "You don't want to be like me… and I doubt you'll ever be able to." He said, sounding somewhat tired. Talin looked confused. "We learned the Shuriken jutsu today, only Talin and me got it right. Mom told me you're very good at it. Could you help us practice?" Sasuke asked, shifting his pack. "I… don't think I'll be able to today. I'm busy." Itachi replied. Talin now looked annoyed. "You never have time, big brother. Can't you take just 10 minutes off?" She asked. He sighed again. "I really can't. Mother is good at it, let her help you practice." Itachi said, and pushing chakra to his feet, jumped up onto a roof and disappeared. "He's always busy." Talin said sadly, and then walked into the house. Sasuke was mad too.

The next day, Sasuke was up early when he heard his father and Itachi talking. Hoping maybe they were discussing a jutsu, and maybe he could learn from listening to them, he snuck up to the door. "Shisui's dead, and you're the last one seen with him. It's suspicious. People have been saying bad things about you, and now you're a suspect for murder." Their father was saying. Startled, Sasuke went back to his shared bedroom with Itachi and Talin, on the far side of the house. Talin was up, and was already putting her Ninja Academy goggles on. "Hey Talin… have you seen Shisui?" Sasuke asked, feeling a cold pit in his stomach. "I saw him yesterday morning, just after big brother left. He was going to meet up with him. Why?" She asked, blinking at herself in the mirror. "Just wondering." Sasuke replied, and began getting ready. A while later, the sound of bare feet came down the hall, and the door opened. There stood Itachi, smiling a little.

"It's time to get up and both of you are ready to leave… well, in that case… I might have just enough time to help you a little with your practice." He said, leaning against the doorframe. Talin smiled brightly, happy. So they both took half of Itachi's weapons, since they weren't allowed any of their own yet, and went into the back yard. Itachi made targets on two trees, and told them to throw as fast as they could. Talin did better than Sasuke by 4 shuriken. "Well, I think Talin has it down pretty good. Sasuke, it would help if you flicked your wrist a little more. Focus on your target, and all your movements must be towards that target." Itachi instructed. Sasuke did so, and it actually helped.

A while later they were at the front door. Itachi was putting his shoes on. "Big brother… can you maybe show us how you were able to activate your Sharingan later?" Talin asked. "Sorry, I can't. I don't have time." He replied. "Then maybe you can show us how you use it?" Sasuke asked. "Sorry Sasuke, I really can't. I don't have time to." Itachi replied. He turned, and waved for both of them to walk towards him. They did so a little hesitantly, and the moment they were in reach Itachi poked them both on the foreheads. Then he got up. "You always say that. Sorry Sasuke, sorry Talin, I don't have time. Then you jab us in the forehead When are you going to have time?" Sasuke asked, holding the spot he'd been poked so hardly in. "I don't have time for this… maybe someday." Itachi said, and walked out. "See you later." Talin said, rubbing her forehead as well. The door slid shut… "He's so stubborn." Talin thought, and she and Sasuke got their shoes on and ran off to school.

The next morning, a day when they had school off, and there were no mission, Sasuke and Talin were surprised when Itachi invited them to go with him. Having no idea where they were going, they followed Itachi into the Konoha village. Just as they were passing the training field, 3 other Uchihas who the younger two didn't recognize approached. "Itachi Uchiha." One said, and Itachi stopped, turning. He snarled a curse under his breath. "What do you want?" He asked tiredly. "It's about Shi…" One began. Itachi snapped, "We've already been through this! And if you're going to argue about it, don't do it in front of my siblings."

One of them replied, "We'll do whatever we want. You and your family have disgraced the Uchiha name by becoming a criminal. We ought to kill the two before they join you in your murdering crusade." Itachi's knuckles suddenly cracked. "Is that a threat?" He growled. "You bet it is." The other one replied. Itachi seemed to get more furious by the second. "Talin, Sasuke, leave. I'll find you in a little bit. You don't want to be here to see a bunch of old men arguing." Itachi said, a terrible hatred in his voice. As the two ran off into the training field, the sound of pain filled cries filled the air. While Sasuke kept running, not looking back, Talin glanced back, and was startled by what she saw. All 3 men were lying on the road, beaten badly. Itachi had his ANBU katana out, and was currently cleaning the blade off on the grass. He glanced at them as they ran, and she looked away quickly, hoping he didn't see her looking.

They stopped at the memorial stone, and sat down, panting a little. Talin said nothing to Sasuke about what she'd seen. A little bit later Itachi appeared, acting as cool and casual as ever. "You guys feel like getting some ice cream?" He asked out of the blue. "Uh, sure." Sasuke said. Talin nodded, smiling. She put the current events out of her mind, and focused on the chocolate ice cream Itachi had instinctively gotten her. They were the same, all 3 of them. The LOVED anything that was chocolate. As they sat on the bench in the park, licking away at their ice cream, Itachi seemed to smile, absorbing the day. When they were done, he poked Sasuke. "You're it." He said simply, and ran off, dodging Sasuke's hand. Talin flipped backwards over the bench and ran off too, and they ran away until it was Talin who was it, and then Itachi again. Itachi was beside himself with happiness, and tackled them both, tickling them to the ground. A while later, they headed home, happy as ever.

The next day would be the one of the most tragic days of their life.


	2. The tragedy, and the brothers clash

**Here's chapter two!!! Hope you love it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in it, except Talin.**

Sasuke awoke and found Talin still in bed and Itachi already down in the kitchen eating. He quickly got dressed and joined him. "Where are Mom and Dad?" Sasuke asked. "They went out to go shopping. I'm in charge of watching you two." Itachi replied quietly, and took another drink from the pink lemonade that their mother had made. "So what are we going to do today?" Sasuke asked. "I don't know. Talin has a fever, she's sick, so I need to keep an eye on her. Maybe you can go run to the medicine shop and buy something to help her." Itachi said after a little bit. Sasuke nodded; glad to help them both out. So Itachi went back to the bedroom with a bunch of wet washcloths and Sasuke ran out.

Sasuke went quickly to the medicine shop, and spent an hour buying medicine, and then going to the candy store to buy something for both of them, and a little something for himself, with his own money. "Talin will feel much better with this medicine and some of her favorite chocolate." He said happily, and ran home. It was surprisingly quiet as he stepped into the Uchiha village. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Sasuke asked uncertainly as he walked down the usually busy main street. "There should be people here… Auntie and Uncle were just here when I left. I should check their house." Sasuke thought, and knocked a few times. The door swung open on its own. Sasuke simply stepped inside, and was met with the most startling thing he'd ever seen. Both his aunt and uncle lay in a bloody pile on the floor… dead. Sasuke screamed, and fled from the house. "What's happening? What's going on?" He thought, panicked, as he ran for the house. He turned onto the one street, and slid to a stop. Bodies lay everywhere… Rukia, the girl who owned the flower shop, lay just feet away from him, shuriken and kunai sticking out of her back. Many more people he knew lay all around, some still armed. "No, this is horrible… what about Itachi, Talin, Mother and Father?! I need to get to them! I need to be safe!" Sasuke said out loud, and took off as fast as he could.

He took his shoes off, slamming the sliding door behind him, and locking it. "Mother? Father? Itachi? Talin? Are any of you there?" Sasuke called as he walked into the kitchen. A loud thud came from somewhere off to his right. Scared, Sasuke ran for his parent's room. Just as he got to the door after nearly falling, he heard another thud inside. "Someone's in there… is it mother or father, or… or the killer. I need to see… can't move. Come on, move. Move!" He ordered himself in his mind, and grabbing the handle, pulled the door open and went inside. What he saw would stay in his mind forever.

His mother lay face up on the floor, his father laying face down across her. Both had blood pooled around them, and they were… dead. Sasuke gasped, and was about to run forward to them when the sound of heavy footsteps came from the darkness just beyond them. Sasuke's heart stopped as he waited… and into the light stepped Itachi, Talin hanging over his shoulder, eyes closed. "Big brother, what happened? What's going on? Who did this?" Sasuke stuttered, feeling lost to the world. Itachi didn't answer, just stood there, Talin hanging seemingly lifeless. Suddenly something slashed past Itachi's shoulder, thudding into the door behind him. Sasuke grabbed his shoulder, wincing, and looked up. "Why did you… you did this?!" Sasuke gasped. "I almost pity you, but I pity Talin more. She witnessed it all. Now you will too." Itachi said quietly, and suddenly Sasuke fell into the world of Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan.

Sasuke watched with horror as Itachi attacked everyone around him. They tried to fight back, run away, protect themselves, and all fell. Blood spattered everywhere. "Itachi, why are you showing me this?! Stop it!" Sasuke cried, holding his head. He saw Talin in the background, hands over her mouth, terrified as Itachi did what he was doing. He then approached her afterwards, and put her over his shoulder. The scene shifted to his parents, kneeling in their bedroom, talking. Itachi snuck up behind them, putting Talin down. And as he made the fatal blow, Talin watched, eyes wide. Then, Itachi looked at her, and she simply said, "I love you, Itachi. But for this, I will never forgive you." And suddenly she became unconscious, passing out from her fever.

"No!" Sasuke screamed as he saw Itachi approach his sister, sword out. Was Talin dead, and not unconscious? Sasuke escaped the world, and fell, holding his head, screaming "No!!! It can't be!!" As Sasuke lay there, he looked at his dead parents, at Talin… he slowly sat up. "Why, Itachi? Why, why did you do it?" Sasuke asked, shaking. "To test myself. To prove my strength." Itachi replied. "So you killed your entire clan?!" Sasuke snarled. "I needed to test my ability. To test myself…" Itachi said. "You're out of your mind!" Sasuke suddenly screamed, and ran at Itachi. Itachi easily punched Sasuke in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. Sasuke fell to the floor.

"He… killed them. Did he kill Talin too? Why did he have to… why?" Sasuke thought. Suddenly Itachi stepped towards Sasuke. Fear washed over him like rain. "I don't want to die… I'm scared. I'm scared!" Sasuke thought. Now crying, he ran for the door, plowing out. He ran down the streets, crying. "I don't want to die, no!" Sasuke panicked as he ran. Suddenly Itachi was in the street in front of him, Talin still over his shoulder. "No… Itachi, please, don't kill me!" Sasuke begged, looking terrified. "You're not even worth killing. Talin proved to hold out all right during the slaughter, but I guess her fever got the best of her. I tried to kill the both of you with the ice cream, with poison, to make it easy on me. But no, neither of you took it the right way. You weren't affected by it at all, and Talin just got a fever. But it's not worth the effort now. By all means flee. Live your wretched life in disgust knowing you're the only one to survive. You were too weak, too much of a coward to even share their fate. If you really want to kill me in the future, foster your hatred for me, and let it grow." Itachi said. "The only one? What about Talin?" Sasuke asked, still scared.

"I don't think she's going to make it. After the trauma she's been through, and her wound, plus the fever, her chances are slim to nothing. You'll be alone." Itachi said, and put Talin down. He looked down at her, almost fondly, and suddenly pulled out his sword, and slashed it quickly over her right forearm. "Get away from her!" Sasuke snarled, running forward. "Foolish little brother… I'll see you sooner or later. Goodbye." Itachi said, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sasuke ran to Talin, looking her over. A slash went across her stomach, very deep, and it was bleeding badly. Her fever was a raging 105, and the new cut on her forearm was bleeding too. Sasuke quickly carried her back to the house, and wrapped her up in bandages, and forced the pill and some water down her throat. A few moments later, she screamed to awareness.

"Sasuke, he… he…" She stuttered, eyes wide. Suddenly, she grabbed onto him, and held him tightly, hugging him. "You're alive… you're alive." She breathed, tears flooding down her cheeks as she let go of him. Sasuke was still crying. "I… I'm going to kill him." She said suddenly, getting up. "No, don't! You don't stand even the slightest chance!" Sasuke cried, running after her as she stumbled off. "Sasuke… you're the stronger of the two of us. I just want to take a piece of him with me… you know I'm not going to survive the poison. I want you to stay here, tell everyone what happened, and… get strong enough that you'll kill Itachi when the time is right. Promise me you won't come after me, and see me go… I want you to remember me just like this, smiling and happy. Our parents were right… you're the next Uchiha heir. Please… promise me you'll send Itachi to his rightful place, and then come to me when your time is over. And you never know… I might actually survive and come back for you. But don't be hopeful. Please, Sasuke… I don't want you to see any of it. Please…" She said. Sasuke started crying, but nodded. "Go… I love you, Talin. Tell Itachi I loved him too." He said, and hugged her tightly. "I'll see you around, Sasuke." She said, and disappeared in smoke too.

"I love you too, Sasuke." Her voice echoed in the wind. Talin was hot on Itachi's trail, but how she was able to stay there, she didn't know. Soon, she found him sitting on the ground, breathing hard, and tired from his mad race out of the village. She landed just a few feet away from him, and doubled over, couching up blood. "You had enough strength to even get out of the village… you impress me, little sister. More so, you left Sasuke behind… maybe you can become more like me. But it looks like you're going to die soon." Itachi said, getting up. "Sasuke said he loves you. Now I'm going to do what I came here to do." Talin said, and pulling out a bunch of kunai and shuriken she had gathered on the way out she flung a few at Itachi roughly. He easily dodged them. "Let me ease your suffering and end this quickly." Itachi said, pulling out his sword.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot into his back. "How did you…?" He began, and suddenly another shuriken sped past his leg, cutting into it. Talin lay on her side, panting, but still threw more kunai. Itachi was shocked. How was she doing it? As she ran out of weapons, she got up again, and formed a jutsu. "Father was just starting to teach me how to do this. I'm going to try it, and you better not ruin it." She said almost teasingly, and spat out a bunch of small fireballs. Itachi dodged them, and as his sister was about to fall to her knees, he suddenly caught her, and turning her around, held her up. "You have more potential than I should have realized, little sister… you're coming with me." He said. Her eyes widened. "Why?" She breathed. "Because your Sharingan has been activated, and you're younger than I was. We'll meet up with Sasuke in time. But for now, we're leaving."

Talin was about to fight back, to object. "Well then, you've given me no choice. Mangekyo Sharingan." Itachi said. He twisted it deep into her mind. "You will stay with me. I will train you, and you will become my partner, my apprentice. You will have free will to do anything, but in time learn to trust me. But you will be forced to stay with me, no matter what." He said. She blinked a few times, eyes blank, and then she stopped fighting. "Good little sister. Now, come on." He said, putting her arm over his shoulders. He then pulled her with him as he ran.

That was the end of the trail. The ANBU lost their tracks a mile from that spot, and no one reported seeing them ever again. Sasuke assumed Talin was dead, and after the names of the entire Uchiha clan was written on the Memorial stone, and all bodies buried in the cemetery, Sasuke made a separate memorial for his beloved sister, in her favorite place. A small clearing in the field was filled with all types of flowers. She'd loved to come here… and now her picture rested on top of a stone he placed in the center. He went there every day, sometimes leaving presents, and always talked to the picture like she was actually there. He began to get stronger, work himself harder. He was going to kill Itachi, no matter what. By the age of 13, he was a Genin, top of his class, and extremely skilled. He was grouped with Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki. His team captain, Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja. He activated his Sharingan during his fight with Haku and Zabuza Momochi. Now, he was in the 3rd stage of the Chuunin exams… that is, until the attack by Orochimaru. He then fought Gaara, the boy who held Shukaku, the sand demon. Sadly, the curse mark Orochimaru placed on him stopped him. Luckily, his teammates showed up, and saved him, while also defeating Gaara. Now, as the Konoha village repairs itself, and mourns the loss of their Hokage, 3 dark figures approach the village.

After Itachi had escaped the ANBU, he tended to his almost dead sister. He then began to train her, train her harder than he'd been trained himself. And she held up through it all rather easily. Soon, she was close to activating the Mangekyo Sharingan… but what truly made her Itachi's pride and happiness was her other ability. Her control over fire was outstanding. Although her eyes were onyx, like her brothers, they had gold around the edges, and when she used fire, the entire thing would be gold. And when she used her Sharingan, the gold would dance just behind the turning wheels in the red pool. Her pitch-black hair fell to her waist, the raven color that she shared with Sasuke at the bottom. She also had a knack at wielding a sword. Her sword was a zanbatō, and was only just a little shorter than her 5"7' height. It was jet black with a red thorn covered vine curving up both sides. There was also a hole close to the end. The handle was wrapped in red bandages. She also joined her brother into the Akasuki group, being the 2nd girl in it. Now, she joins her brother and their partner Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the 7 Swordsmen of the Mist. They were headed right for Konoha village, right after Orochimaru's attack… right after the Hokage had been killed. Their target, the Nine Tailed Fox Demon. And secretly, inside, Itachi and Talin were hoping for a glimpse at their brother.

The 3 dark figures stepped out of the mist, and walked towards the side entrance to the village. "Excuse me, you're not allowed in…" The guard said. Itachi lifted his hat just a little, and using his Mangekyo, put the guard to sleep. We walked into the village, and as the day started, they went up onto the high wall overlooking the empty Uchiha village. "To think you came back here, Itachi. I think they hate you here more than they did back in my village." Kisame said. "Who cares? No one will recognize us if we keep our faces hidden. And Talin can go out without a disguise. She's changed quite a bit, I doubt anyone would recognize her. Talin, why don't you go find out where Sasuke is." Itachi said. "And what do I do if I find him?" She asked, lifting her hat up slightly. Her dark onxy eyes flashed in the sun. "Just follow him around a little bit. And I need you to go find our target. Kisame and I will be at that sweets shop, if it's still there. If not, we'll be at the training fields." Itachi said. Talin smirked, laughing just a little. "This will be fun." She said, and pulling her Akatsuki clothes off, revealed her other clothes underneath. She wore a black tank top and black shorts, and her weapons were tied to her leg. She pulled on Konoha style boots out of a bag hidden under her Akatsuki clothes. Pulling on a Konoha headband (which she had stolen a while ago off a dead konoha ninja) she smiled, and looked at Itachi. "Not too suspicious?" She asked, swiping her hair out of her face.

"Not at all. I hardly recognize you… I think a little eye makeup and silver earrings will help. Here." Itachi said, and handed over a bunch of old Konoha money. "It's still their currency. Go buy yourself some things, look unsuspicious. We'll see you later." Itachi said as Kisame picked up her clothes. She nodded, and disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing down just outside the Uchiha village.

"Well, the village doesn't look dead… Sasuke must be taking care of it." She thought as she walked away. She went into the first store she found and bought small silver hoop earings, and gold liquid eye makeup, plus eyeliner. Once done, it threw off all hints she was even close to an Uchiha. Smiling, she walked out into the street. She felt no uncomfortableness, no shyness… nothing. It was her village, after all… She headed right for the target's home. Knocking a few times on the door, she continued waiting until someone walked past. "Excuse me, do you know where the boy who lives here is?" She asked the old man. "The blonde kid… ya, he went out of the village with Jiraiya. You know, one of the 3 Legendary Sanin. I think they went looking for Lady Tsunade." The old man replied. A pit of anger filled Talin. "Oh… ok, thanks." She said, and disappeared in another puff of smoke.

"Now, if I were Sasuke, where would I be?" She thought as she walked through the village. A squaking hawk above caught her attention. She only had to look at it for a minute, and then smirked. "That hawk was created by genjutsu… I think I'll follow it, just for fun. Sasuke can wait." She said out loud, and began running after the hawk. She slowly began to get a little worried as the hawk seemed to be leading her right to the place where Itachi and Kisame were supposed to be. "Itachi, what're you dragging me in for?" She thought as she ran on. But then she realized, Itachi wouldn't send a hawk for her. He'd simply send someone. "Is someone on to us?" She thought carefully as she walked around the corner.

Her heart stopped, but only for a second. Ahead, leaning against the wall right outside the restaurant, was Sasuke, talking to a man with wild silver hair. Beside them were two others… Asuma and Kurenai, Talin's old Academy teachers. Suddenly, Itachi and Kisame were standing behind her. "Well?" Itachi asked. "The kid left with Jiraiya, to look for Lady Tsunade. It should be easy to track them, there's only one place to go first when you leave this village." Talin reported. "And Sasuke was just there… well, our goals have been reached for here. Let's go." Itachi said as Kisame handed Talin's Akatsuki clothes back over. She slid them on easily, wiping her eye makeup off and taking the earrings out. She put the eye shadow in the pack with the earrings, and then they headed off for the exit, which held the still sleeping guard in it. As they walked next to a small stream, on direct coarse for the way out, two people appeared on the trail in front of them, and walked towards them. "Talin, go over into the woods. I want you to remain our secret surprise." Itachi ordered. Talin nodded, and disappeared in another puff of smoke.

"Hey, aren't you guys from another village? I don't think you should be here." Asuma said as the two stopped to face each other. The 2 didn't reply. "Who are you guys, anyways? You really stick out in a crowd." Asuma said. Itachi grinned a little, and pulled his hat off. "You!" Kurenai gasped. "You have a lot of nerve showing up in this village after what you did." Asuma growled. "Kurenai, Asuma, how nice to see you both again. Look… I have things to do. So just leave us alone." Itachi said simply. "Itachi, who is this guy? I don't like the way he talks." Kisame growled, also pulling his hat off.

"Well well, if it isn't Kisame Hoshigaki. You're an S-rank criminal from the Village Hidden in the Mist." Asuma said. "How nice, you even know my name." Kisame said, grinning.

Now, you all know the fight that went on between Itachi, Kisame, Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi.

"Kisame, let's go. People will get attracted to here, and as much as I know you'd like to fight, we should leave. Our target is getting a little out of reach." Itachi said. Kisame nodded. As they disappeared, Itachi motioned with his head for Talin to follow. She did so, and no one noticed her.

The moment Sasuke found out Itachi and Kisame were after Naruto, he ran as fast and hard as possible. He would save Naruto, and also destroy Itachi with his new learned Chidori. It was time for his revenge.

"Well, Sasuke looked like he'd gotten big, and stronger. Maybe he took my advice." Itachi said as the group ran along towards the town. "Maybe… I'd enjoy a little clash with him." Talin said, smirking. "To think, he believes you're dead. It'll be fun to see his face when he knows you're alive." Kisame teased. "Yeah." Talin replied. Itachi glanced at her, and smiled a little. They came to the town entrance, and went in, but only on the edge. "I know Jiraiya well. We don't want an encounter with him. I also know how to distract him. Talin, make a distraction clone and bring it with you. Find Jiraiya and send her over. Make sure she distracts him. Then send us the signal, and we'll get the kid." Itachi ordered. Talin nodded, and instantly a very good-looking girl appeared.

Talin took her by the hand and going back into Konoha shinobi mode, went into town. "There he is. Take him for a very long, very distracting trip, all right? And don't mention anything about the kid." Talin said to the clone. The girl nodded, and walked out, giggling a little as Jiraiya won a ball throwing game. "Hey beautiful, want a go? I'll pay?" Jiraiya said, grinning. The girl laughed, nodded, and instantly Jiraiya was busy. "Hey Naruto, go back to the hotel. I'll be there in an hour." Jiraiya said to a blonde haired blue-eyed boy. The boy looked annoyed as he walked away. Talin followed the boy to the hotel, and sent the signal, a little blue jay bird. A few moments later Itachi and Kisame appeared. Kisame again gave her Akatsuki clothes back, and as she pulled them over, Itachi grabbed her arm. "Stay in the shadows out here. Be our guard." He ordered. She nodded, and stepped into the dark shadows, completely disappearing. Itachi then went inside, Kisame following.

"Why do they get to do all the fun stuff?" Talin thought, rolling her shoulders a little. Suddenly, she heard the sound of feet lightly running down the street. Curious, she looked around the corner. "That was fast… well well well, Sasuke." She thought, gripping the handle of her sword. She decided against herself. "No… let Itachi deal with him." As Sasuke ran inside to ask the woman at the desk something, she sent up a little black butterfly. "Now he'll know so he won't get annoyed by a nasty surprise." She thought, and walked up the side of the building to the second floor window. She saw Kisame and Itachi standing in the hallway, the blonde kid in front of them, looking stupefied and scared. Then, Sasuke appeared.

More talking, more fighting… Talin felt a glee inside her form. "Ah Sasuke, you've gotten so much stronger and quicker… but still not strong enough." She thought as the Mangekyo knocked Sasuke out cold. As they turned to take the blonde kid again, in stepped… Jiraiya. "Oh great, he knocked out the clone." Talin thought, gritting her teeth. Suddenly the entire inside of the hallways blocked off by some strange pink stuff. "What is this… it's filled with chakra? It's too strong! Can Itachi get out?" I thought. I heard them running… towards the opposite side of the building. I ran out to meet them. Suddenly, the side of the building blew wide open, and black flames exploded out. "Amaterasu? It was that strong that he had to use that?" She thought as two figures raced out of the exit. She ran after them as fast as she could, and yet they seemed to be pulling ahead. Using a burst of chakra I caught up.

"We can still get him, why are we running?" She asked as they ran on the moving stream. "I've over used my Mangekyo, and using Amaterasu is always tiring. We won't stand much of a chance if I'm weak. I need to recover." Itachi replied. Talin could actually hear the exhaustion in his voice. It was bad. They stopped at a secluded area in the woods, and Itachi instantly lay down and went to sleep. "You know, if I'd gone in there with you guys, I could've still managed to grab the kid." Talin said, lighting the fire with a flick of her finger. "Maybe… you're not expecting me to cook you food, are you?" He asked, sounding annoyed. "No, I don't plan to eat fish again, for the 5th night in a row. I'm going out to get the food for once, and it won't be fish. Besides, Itachi needs something a little more energizing when he wakes up." Talin replied. She grabbed a few kunai, some ninja wire, and measured explosion tags, and went off.

"Now, to find some fresh tracks…" She murmured, and going up into the trees, began searching. "Oh good, a deer. Here just a few minutes ago. Well, fun time." She said, and snuck past the deer, following the easily marked trail it was on. Once ahead far enough, she strung the wire all over the trail, and attached the explosive tags. Along with those, she set up a kunai release tag. So, when the deer hit the string, whichever one it hit, all the explosives and weapons would aim for that area, and not miss. She then jumped up and hid behind a large group of leaves and branches, and waited.

5 minutes later, a snap, followed by many cracking, popping sounds, and the sound of metal flying through the air, sounded loudly. As the dust cleared, Talin looked out, and smiled. "Venison's on the menu tonight." She said gleefully, pulling out a large knife. She then went to the deer, and cut out the good meat, and then dragged the deer down into a ravine, where the animals could get to it without attracting the attention of ninja. Then she headed back to camp.


	3. Itachi's moodiness

**Here you go! Hope you love it!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anyone in it, but Talin is mine.**

"Well, you actually got something good. And you bothered to cut the good meat out. Maybe Itachi finally found a way to get something into that rock you call a brain." Kisame taunted as she walked into the camp. She glared at him, and put the meat over the fire. "Well, I'm always prepared for a chakra and energy transfer if needed. You on the other hand, with as much chakra as you rant about, can't give him even a little bit. So shut up and keep an eye on the meat." She ordered him. He glared, nose scrunching up, and grumbled something under his breath as he turned back to the fire. As much as he hated the kid, he wasn't going against Itachi.

Talin walked over to her sleeping brother, and kneeling beside him, placed a cold palm on his forehead. "A bit of a fever… no surprise considering you used Amaterasu and Mangekyo all in 5 minutes time, plus your fight with Kakashi… Ah Itachi…" She murmured to herself. She noticed the ring glittering in the light. The kanji on it standed for scarlet, or bloody. Talin sighed, looking at her own Akatsuki ring. The kanji symbol for fire rested on her ring finger. "Talin…" A voice suddenly breathed, interrupting her thoughts. She looked down at Itachi. His onyx eyes blinked up at her, tired and weary. "Yes?" She asked, smiling a little. He almost smiled a little too. "What's for dinner?" He asked.

Talin laughed a little. "Venison, for once. Just relax, Kisame and I got it all under control." She said. She got up and turned to walk away when one of his hands gripped tightly around her ankle. "Stop being so nice." He seemed to growl. She looked down at him, and nodding slightly, stepped free of his hand. Feeling ashamed, like a scolded child, she stayed quiet as she got the best out of all the meat now sitting aside to cool. As Itachi got up, she handed a plate over, and a fork and knife, and then stepped back, head bowed slightly. She then sat down to her own meal, eating normally while Kisame tore into the meat like a wild animal. Itachi noted to himself, "She's taken the smallest amount, given me the largest, and Kisame's isn't much smaller. Smart child, but she needs her energy. I depend on it in times of need."

Once all were finished, they sat around, busying themselves. Talin was sharpening the blade of her sword, eyes trained to every spark, a half smirk on her face. Kisame was re-wrapping the bandages on his own sword, and was repairing the handle, which although Talin found nothing wrong with it, Kisame said was loose. And Itachi was thinking about his goals, and his little battle with Sasuke. "You never will get enough hatred, Sasuke. I'm on the dark side, you the light, and Talin is half and half. You live just for the purpose of killing me. I guess it never occurred to you of what would happen to you after you'd reached that goal. You'll have nothing after that, and lose your strength, your will to destroy me. But you'll never reach that point, because you'll never win. As for Talin… she's there to put you out of your misery. Or she'll simply be your midway point. If you defeat her, you might actually have a slight chance of injuring me, maybe hurting me, but you'll never take me down. You have the heart of the light side… you may not even have the heart to kill her. She would kill you if it were my wishes, and hers too. As for me… you mean nothing to me right now. And I doubt you'll ever be worth my attention." He was snapped out of his thoughts by a large snapping sound.

Talin was breaking large sticks in half in her hands like they were toothpicks, and was setting the ends on fire with her fingers, and then stabbing them into the ground like they were torches. She created a circle around them doing this. "Talin, what're you doing?" Kisame asked, almost sounding annoyed. "Building up. Tonight feels right. Chakra emanates from everything around here. It's a full moon, Kisame. Usually I'd go off on my own, but I don't feel like killing any ninja I pass over, about a mile out there." She said, jerking her head to the right. "So? What are you doing?" Kisame repeated. She sighed, annoyed. "I'm building up chakra to turn into fire element chakra so I can give it to Itachi so he can use Amaterasu more often. He never seems to have enough of it for more than once. And, I'm taking a small portion of that to help rebuild from the lack he lost from the Mangekyo. Now stop bugging me so I can get this over with." She growled.

As Kisame growled something very quietly, she waved her hand at the large fire, and it went out. "If you two would get out of the circle, that'd be great." She said. The two did so without a word, interested. Not even Itachi had seen her do this, nor knew she even did it. She sat in the center, legs crossed, and crossed her index and middle fingers, and then places her hands over each other, and then onto her lap. Her lips formed silent words, and suddenly the flames burst out in colors of red, orange and yellow instead of just yellow. The flames grew bigger, and suddenly strands of scarlet light shot from one to the other cross the circle, creating a web of scarlet beams. Then it all shrunk into a spot just above Talin, and dropped down into her. But it wasn't over. Shadows of light came out of the darkness, and shot into her as well. Then, as the fire died all on its own, she seemed to collapse.

In the darkness, Kisame walked over. He felt immense amounts of chakra close by, and went in that direction until his foot lightly bumped into her. She was sitting up, but she seemed half unconscious. "That was a lot more than I'd expected… I'm getting a lot better at finding even the smallest amounts… I took in much more than usual." She said, sounding happy. Kisame reached down, grabbing her arm, and lifted her effortlessly to her feet. Dragging her over, he sat her down against a tree, and relit the fire using stone and flint. As the fire relit, Talin grabbed onto something in her pocket. Pulling out a compact scroll, she opened it. "Good, just as I left it." She said, grinning. Placing it on the ground in front of her, she flashed a bunch of hand signs, and placed her index fingertips on the space in the center of the scroll. A fire symbol appeared, and another one representing chakra. Then she made a slit on her forearm, and let it drip into the center. Getting up, she walked over, with slight effort, to Itachi, and sat in front of him, handing over a clean kunai. He slit his own forearm and let the blood drop, and then Talin closed it, tying it shut.

"Ready?" She asked. "You sure you want to do it this second? You just absorbed all of that, now you're giving it to someone else… you're useless if you're passed out." Itachi said. "I won't pass out. And I'm only giving you 90. I need a little for myself." She replied, getting up. She held out a hand, and Itachi took it, allowing her to pull him to his feet as well. "Here we go." She said, and held the scroll out with both hands. It began to glow scarlet. "Ok, now." She said. Itachi grabbed the scroll, and the scarlet shot out, spiraling around his arms and disappearing into his chest. As the color finally faded, the scroll simply turned to dust in their hands, and blew off in the wind. Talin felt dizzy as she stood there, trying not to show any signs of being weak. Itachi seemed to wake up, and grinned. "That's more than enough… very good, Talin." He said. She nodded.

After a little bit, Talin leaned against the tree after sitting down, and grinned, looking at the gleaming, sharp edge of her sword. "So, do we stay the night, or are we moving out?" Kisame asked after a while, cracking his knuckles. "Well, if we stay the night, there's the risk of being caught, and we're just wasting time. If we go, we'll be tired from no sleep… but we might get some ground. I think we should go." Itachi said, sounding bored. "Then again, Talin is in no shape to travel…" Itachi said. Talin's head snapped up. "I'm fine, I can go." She said quickly. "We're not pushing you beyond your limits." Itachi said, serious. "I will push myself as much as I want. We're going." She said firmly, getting up. Next thing Kisame knew, Itachi smashed Talin into the tree, holding her by her throat from a foot off the ground.

"I can feel the love in the air." Kisame murmured, backing away a little. "Are you challenging me?" Itachi asked. She tried to say something, but had no air to do so. "What was that?" Itachi snarled, and slightly released. "No." She gasped, fists clenched tight. "Good. Because you'd die if you were. Now, if you're so sure of yourself, let's go." Itachi said, and dropped her. She sat where she landed, taking a few deep breaths, before quickly getting up. She slid her sword on, blew out the fire with a wave of her hand, and stood waiting next to Kisame, face hidden behind her robe, looking down. "All right, let's move out." Itachi said, and the group started running.

"Little sister… you're so stubborn. Sometimes it comes in handy, but in this situation… normally I don't offer anything for your good. Now, you may just pay the price by either slowing us down or completely stopping us… or hurting yourself by pushing yourself." Itachi thought as they ran. A long time later, with the moon setting and the sky beginning to lighten, Talin hadn't slowed down or stopped at all. She didn't even look tired. Kisame was panting a little, and Itachi was just beginning to feel tired. The moment the top of the sun touched the horizon they stopped, right outside a small village. "Let's find a place to stay, shall we?" Itachi asked, and instantly all 3 of their appearances changed. Itachi now looked like a 40 year old man, Kisame looked like a normal 27 year old, and Talin changed into a 17 year old. They also changed their hair and completely changed their faces, skin tone, voices; even their clothes seemed to change. "Alright, let's go." Itachi said, and they walked into the village.

Soon enough they found a house for rent and took it. Talin took the couch, since there were only two bedrooms. They remained in their genjutsu forms for the rest of the morning. Towards noon, Talin went out and bought food.

As she was picking out apples out of the small market, she realized her hands were shaking tremendously. "I've used up a lot of energy… my nerves are tired. So is the rest of my body… oh well. I'll take a nap when I get home." She thought as she handed over the money. She turned, and bumped into a tall, annoyed looking man. "Watch where you're going, kid." He growled, stepping forcefully around her. Anger rushed through her veins, pumping in her ears. "Kill him!" Her conscious shrieked. And she was close to, but then remembered, "We're here to relax for a while… maybe on the way out." Sighing, she turned, and carrying the small bag of apples and other food, headed to the house.

Just as she'd put the bag down to unlock the door (which Kisame had done just to annoy her) 3 shuriken thudded into the wall next to her. Tensed up, she spun around, and flashing a kunai out, blocked more of the flying shuriken. She saw three 20-year-old boys; clad in ninja gear from The Village Hidden in the Mist, standing just beyond the edge of the yard, shuriken in hand. "You guys got a problem?" She asked, holding the kunai tightly. "We want you and the other two you came with to fight us for that house. We need it." The one, the obvious leader, said. I sighed. "I never get a break… oh well. No need to tire the others out anymore." She thought, and said, "All right. Fight me. 3 against 1. If you can manage to get past me, you might just stand a chance against Kisame. But that's only a 10 chance. So, when and where?" She asked, smiling.

The one laughed. "You'll be down for the count in 5 minutes. No one can stand against us." He said. I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge? I could just kill you now and get this over with." I said, and turning, unlocked the door. "Don't ever turn your back to your enemy! That's one of the first things you're supposed to know! Are you some kind of death wisher or something?" The other one asked. "Even if you attacked me from behind, you wouldn't hit me." She replied simply. Angered growls came from them. "Fine. 10 minutes from now, in the field at the west end of the main street. And let your friends now so when we win we don't have to kick them out with force." The leader said, and they disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Dead guys… stupid." She murmured, and slipped inside. I put everything in the fridge, and set the small alarm clock in the living room to 7 minutes, and then collapsed on the couch, and instantly drifted into a dark and dreary world.

The alarm clock obnoxiously beeped until I finally slammed my fist onto the snooze button, and then turned it off. "Ok… time to add 3 bodies to the graveyard." She sighed, getting up. "Just where do you think you're going?" A tired voice asked from the kitchen. "To kill a bunch of guys who challenged me for the house." She replied simply, and kept going towards the door. Just as her hand touched the handle, and the door cracked open, a hand slammed onto the door, closing it. Talin froze, feeling Itachi's breath hot on the back of her neck. "You'll lose." He said darkly. "Not with what I have planned. I don't lose often." She replied, hand resting gently on the doorknob. "Sharingan? Is that what you have planned? Are you going to turn them against each other, manipulate them… maybe you'll just confuse them and while they wander around stupefied you'll take them down." He said, sounding like a tactician. "I wasn't talking about Sharingan, Itachi. I'm using my sword and my shuriken, if that gives you a hint. I've been meaning to try a new jutsu on someone anyways. Now can I go? It wouldn't be good to be late for an appointment with death." She said, almost tauntingly.

Itachi's fingers seemed to dig into the wood for a moment. "And if you lose? We get kicked out?" He asked, teeth gritted. "Yup." She replied simply, tensing up. Any moment now, she was expecting him to hit her, or yell at her… or maybe something worse. He sighed, slowly, almost labored sounding. "You better win. And if you don't, you better wish you die in the fight." He growled, and pulling the door open forcefully, shoved her out. As she looked over her shoulder, she watched as his eye glinted as the door closed on it. "He's extra moody today." She thought, and then walked towards the designation.

"Well, you showed up, by yourself too. I'm amazed." The leader said. "This will be over in 10 minutes at the most. So don't make this hard, and maybe I won't kill you." She said, grinning. Tension flowed so strongly in the air as they waited for one or the other to make the first move… tension so strong you could cut it with a knife. Suddenly, Talin grinned, a bloodthirsty smile, and her disguise dropped. Opening her eyes, the Sharingan glowed.

"You! You're one of the Uchihas! You must be Talin Uchiha, in the Bingo Book!!! That must mean the other two are Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki!!! You're all S-rank ninja, wanted for extreme criminal offenses! What are you doing here?!" One asked, fear heavy in their voice. "Aww, now you know who we are… I guess I will have to kill you 3. Sorry." Talin said, and pulling out shuriken, 1 in each hand, she placed her hands together, forming multiple hand signs. "First, to start off… Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!" She said. Instantly, more than 50 shuriken dumped to the ground at her feet. She flashed a few more signs. "Shuriken Suspension Jutsu!" She said. The shuriken shot into the air, and hung still all around her. "Now, for the finale!!!" She cried, and flashing a few more hand signs, cried out…

**I now realize as I read over my story, I forgot to explain something to you from Chapter 2!!! (I slapped myself for this!!!) Anyways, the part when Sasuke and Talin and Itachi were all out in the street, remember how Itachi made a cut over Talin's forearm. He'd done that, for one thing, just because he felt like it, and two, to mark her. The scar comes into action later!!!**

**Really sorry, but this is where the chapter ends, for now. You must wait until the next chapter to see what happens. Yes, I know, we all hate cliffhangers. I promise, I will try not to disappoint you with what we're hanging on!!! REVIEWS, YOU MUST GIVE ME REVIEWS OR THE CHAPTER MIGHT TAKE LONGER TO COME OUT!!! I NEED INCOURAGEMENT!!!**


	4. Call to duty

**Here you go, fans! Hope you love it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anyone in it, but Talin is mine.**

**4**

(Quick review of last chapter)

Suddenly, Talin grinned, a bloodthirsty smile, and her disguise dropped. Opening her eyes, the Sharingan glowed. "You! You're one of the Uchihas! You must be Talin Uchiha, in the Bingo Book!!! That must mean the other two are Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki!!! You're all S-rank ninja, wanted for extreme criminal offenses! What are you doing here?!" One asked, fear heavy in their voice. "Aww, now you know who we are… I guess I will have to kill you 3. Sorry." Talin said, and pulling out shuriken, 1 in each hand, she placed her hands together, forming multiple hand signs. "First, to start off… Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!" She said. Instantly, more than 50 shuriken dumped to the ground at her feet. She flashed a few more signs. "Shuriken Suspension Jutsu!" She said. The shuriken shot into the air, and hung still all around her. "Now, for the finale!!!" She cried, and flashing a few more hand signs, cried out…

"Flaming Shuriken Jutsu!" The shuriken burst into flames. Then, gathering her chakra in the shuriken, she flashed a few more hand signs. "Flaming Shuriken Barrage!" The shuriken shot at them, slashing around them in a swarm of flames and blades. As they desperately tried to cover themselves, she pulled her sword out. "Now to finish you!" Talin cried out, and as she ran towards them, red chakra shot up the blade, flowing off it like fire. The shuriken around the 3 dropped, and they watched with horror as she came crashing down on their leader. He emitted a horrified scream, and then fell to the ground, blood spattering out of the slash across his chest. Without skipping a beat she twisted around, slashing deep into the one's stomach. Then she threw the sword into her other hand, slashing over the last one. Finished, she looked at them, studying them.

"Consider yourselves lucky… I'm just going to mess with your mind a little and then let you go." She said, and bent over the leader, grabbing his shirt. She pulled him up, forcing him to look at her, and the Sharingan spun. "Mind erasing jutsu." She breathed. His eyes went blank, and then she dropped him. She did the same to the others. Then, she projected a false battle into their heads, using her disguise as the one they were battling. Finishing, she waited for them to come back to awareness, once their minds had fully recovered. The moment they all showed signs of being awake, she threw her disguise on. "Looks like I win. You guys should really train harder. To think, beaten by a girl younger than you… and to have it 1 against 3. Pathetic. I'll give you this credit though… you survived. And remember… I'll gladly kill you if you bug me again. And for the other 2… it'll be like squishing flies for them. So I recommend you stay out of our way." She said, and putting her sword away, walked off the now burned, bloody field. The moment she walked in the door, the exhaustion hit her like a fly being hit by a freight train.

Sliding her sword, and its carrier, off, she dropped onto the couch, but not to sleep. She simply started going through every jutsu she knew in her head. She went through every hand sign, every amount of released chakra… everything. But after what felt like hours, she was knocked out of her memorizing by a poke on the forehead. Blinking, she came to reality. Itachi stood; hunched over slightly so his eyes were level with hers, moving his hand back from the jab he had given to her forehead. "I hate it when you do that." She mumbled, but then smiled. "I was half thinking you'd gone into a coma from such a drop in chakra. That new multiple jutsu of yours is very effective, very fast, and does a lot of damage. Plus attacking them with your sword just seconds after dropping the jutsu. All of it takes a lot of concentration, control… and a lot of chakra… I'm curious as to how you even made it home." Itachi said. "You were there?" She asked quietly.

"You made me wonder what new jutsu you had." He replied, standing up straight. She looked at the authority in his eyes, and knew he was up to something… an attempt to copy her jutsu probably. "So, where's Shark Man?" She asked, grinning. "Sleeping." Itachi replied, and they both went quiet to hear a loud snore come from the upstairs bedroom. "Still didn't fix that snoring problem I see." She said, grinning. She got up. "What do you want for lunch? Anything in particular?" She asked, heading for the kitchen. When he didn't answer, she sighed, and turned. "Are you going to answer or not?" She asked, and stopped. He was literally just an inch away from her, towering over her, his Mangekyo Sharingan eyes gleaming in the light. Startled, she stepped away quickly, nearly falling. But it was too late for her to look away… the eyes had caught her. "What're you doing?" She gasped, shaking her head as she felt him probe deep into her mind. There was no answer.

A few minutes later, with her still stuck in his mesmerizing glare, he got out of her mind, and finally let go. She dropped to the floor. "What was that for?" She breathed, finding herself unable to get up. "You're closer to getting the Mangekyo… very close. All you need to do now is kill your best friend… wasn't that a girl from Konoha? You'll have to go back then… but for now, I think we should just rest, and that's all." He said. He grabbed the back of her Akatsuki overcoat, since her disguise had dropped. He dragged her over to the couch, and left her there. "I'll make lunch, leave some in the microwave for you when you wake up." He said, and went into the kitchen. "Itachi…" She thought angrily, and blacked out.

"Get up. Zetsu's here." Itachi's voice echoed into her dreams. She woke up with a start as he hauled her off her feet, and dragged her behind him. "I can walk, jeez!" She suddenly snapped, struggling against him. He let go of her, and then she ran to catch up with him as they went into the woods. Kisame stood waiting ahead, and then they all looked into the direction of a voice. "Well, I was wondering when you two would get here. Talin, you look horrible." The leader said. Talin was unsurprised. He had used astral projection. "We ran into some trouble." Kisame said. "Oh, so Itachi sucked up all your energy again?" Zetsu teased, grinning. "No, she fought a bunch of brats from the Village Hidden in the Mist who challenged her. She used a very complicated jutsu that required a lot of chakra… not to mention the fact she hardly had any to begin with. Anyways, Zetsu, why are you here? What do you want?" Itachi asked. "Must we get to business so soon? We just met up." Zetsu taunted.

One of Itachi's knuckles cracked. "Alright, jeez. You're cranky. Here's the deal. We got a hold on the two-tailed cat demon. So, I got everyone's attention, and you guys are the last of them. We need to put the demon in the statue." Zetsu said.

"Now?" Kisame asked. "No. Tonight, midnight. And don't expect to hang around. The last thing we need is for Talin and Hidan to get into a fight, even in astral projection it'll be a disaster. Hidan's just coming because he's stupid. So you'll be there." Zetsu said. "If Hidan says one word to me about being replaced I'll cut his damned head off!" Talin suddenly snapped. "Unsurprisingly… and you better leave Deidara alone too." Zetsu said, and suddenly twitched. "I got to go. The leader's busy, he needs my help… see you tonight. And don't be late." Zetsu ordered, and disappeared. "You know, Hidan really is going to hold a grudge against you forever for replacing him after his injuries. Kakuzu isn't happy about it either. And you took his ring position, and place in the tailed demon rituals." Kisame said. "Sasori will keep you and Deidara apart, hopefully." Itachi added. He sighed, and turned to go back in.

"Stupid Hidan. It's not my fault he got squished under a bunch of rocks and the leader kicked him out of his position on the same day we showed up." Talin growled, and frustrated, slammed her foot hard into the side of a tree, chipping the bark off. "Enough. You can throw a fit later. We need to get your chakra levels back up, immediately." Itachi said. "And how am I supposed to do that? The full moon was last night!" Talin snapped, knuckles cracking. "It will still be full tonight. And in any case, we'll take Hidan's chakra, since he's no longer necessary. Now stop annoying me and get some more rest. You're going to need it." Itachi said, and walked away. Kisame swore he saw flames starting to rise off her skin as she followed him, fists clenched, teeth gritted.

Talin sat down on the couch, staring, bored, at the ceiling. "I thought I told you to rest some more." Itachi said, sounding a little annoyed. "I am." I replied, looking straight at him. A very angry expression crossed his face. "Are you trying to prove something?" He asked, arms crossed. She bit her lip, holding back the words. Suddenly, the door opened…

**Ya, I know, cliffhanger, I'm sorry. But you guys are desperate for my story (or at least I hope you are!!!) and I'm kind of stuck, so just letting you know, it may take a while for chap. 5. Reviews me Luvs, reviews!!!**


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